What folks should remember is that a fuel hedges are about run about for most airlines and fuel will start to be bought at the equivalent of $100 per barrel. Fair chance of route reductions and redundancies by the end of the year by all but the most efficient airlines. Bad time to think about striking.
Doh, that will be the excuse for no payrise in 2008 then !
A long term plan needs to be put in place, otherwise things are going to get worse every year, imagine the rapid rate of crew phoning in sick and productivity and customer experience declining it wont be long before the comapny name turns to mud, vflyer is already full of bad experiences as morale declines at a rapid rate. I hope the company can see this. By not offering a deal this year I think would be as fatal if not more damaging in the long run financially than the strike action alone.
A deal now with a plan moving forward, otherwise things will get a whole lot worse for passengers, revenue, crew, managers - in short, everyone.
Failing a deal I am more than happy to support the union and crew by continuing and accepting more strike dates, take it to half term I say if the company wont sit and talk and offer us an acceptable deal . There wouldnt be much point in staying at virgin if the crew dont support the union as over the next few years things will be terrible, the terribleometer will go off the scale for everyone.
